The growing practice of espionage in relation to political organizations and activists, has created a new industry of spy agencies in the private sector for Ex-CIA, Secret Service and Military Intelligence officers. The framework that these agents follow are the hallmarks of COINTELPRO, a project issued by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who ordered FBI agents to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize" the activities of these movements and their leaders. Government controlled espionage has now morphed into corporations, industries and organizations hiring black-ops in order to thwart peaceful activists. Not only do these agents infiltrate groups, they also establish fictitious organizations to entrap well meaning people in an effort to diminish the movement. Once you have entered into the fight against the status quo in any form, be prepared for those who would seek to hamper, discredit or usurp your efforts.
Spot a Spy
Group Meetings
A good agent will want to meet as often as possible. He or she will talk a lot and say little. One can expect an onslaught of long, unresolved discussions.
Some agents take on a pushy, arrogant, or defensive manner:
1) To disrupt the agenda
2) To side-track the discussion
3) To interrupt repeatedly
4) To feign ignorance
5) To make an unfounded accusation against a person.
Calling someone a racist, for example. This tactic is used to discredit a person in the eyes of all other group members.
Saboteurs
Some saboteurs pretend to be activists. She or he will ....
1) Write encyclopedic write-ups on fliers or websites
2) Have demonstrations in places where no one cares.
3) Solicit funding from rich people instead of grass roots support
4) Display banners with too many words that are confusing.
5) Confuse issues.
6) Make the wrong demands.
7) Compromise the goal.
8) Have endless discussions that waste everyone's time. The agent may accompany the endless
discussions with drinking, pot smoking or other amusement to slow down the activist's work.
Provocateurs
1) Want to establish "leaders" to set them up for a fall in order to stop the movement.
2) Suggest doing foolish, illegal things to get the activists in trouble.
3) Encourage militancy.
4) Want to taunt the authorities.
5) Attempt to make the activist compromise their values.
6) Attempt to instigate violence. Activism ought to always be non-violent.
7) Attempt to provoke revolt among people who are ill-prepared to deal with the reaction of the authorities
to such violence.
Informants
1) Want everyone to sign up/sign in and sign everything.
2) Ask a lot of questions (gathering data).
3) Want to know what events the activist is planning to attend.
4) Attempt to make the activist defend him or herself to identify his or her beliefs, goals, and level of
commitment.
Recruiting
Legitimate activists do not subject people to hours of persuasive dialog. Their actions, beliefs, and goals speak for themselves.
Groups that DO recruit are missionaries, military, and fake political parties or movements set up by agents.
Surveillance
ALWAYS assume that you are under surveillance.
At this point, if you are NOT under surveillance, you are not a very good activist!
Scare Tactics
They use them.
Such tactics include slander, defamation, threats, getting close to disaffected or minimally committed fellow activists to persuade them to turn against the movement and give false testimony against their former compatriots. They will plant illegal substances on the activist and set up an arrest; they will plant false information and set up "exposure," they will send incriminating letters or emails in the name of the activist; and more; they will do whatever society will allow.
